I have chosen this topic because the number of people who want to live in a free relationship without committing themselves is growing day by day. However, the opinions of psychologists and people who dream of starting a family in this regard are radically different. Some women find positive cohabitation sides and are ready to live with the man without a stamp in the passport. To someone, on the contrary, it seems objectionable and even offensive. Couples, in most cases, replace marriage with cohabitation because they are not confident in their partner, but sometimes people want to test the relationship for strength.
Cohabitation is the same common union of two loving and perhaps not loving people living together, having an ordinary life, and interpersonal relationships. The difference between formal marriage and cohabitation is only in the absence of a stamp in the passport (di Giulio, Impicciatore, & Sironi, 2019). Many people believe that it is better for a man and a woman to live together before getting married, and if something goes wrong, one can break up without spending time and money on divorce. Some may be afraid to marry right away because they have acquaintances who are experiencing domestic violence or feel unnecessary and lonely (di Giulio, Impicciatore, & Sironi, 2019).
Therefore, to avoid problems, many people decide to live together before marriage. The advantages of cohabitation include the fact that it is easier to decide. Most people still perceive it as a temporary and unstable phenomenon, easily abandoned if desired (Wieteska, 2018). Also, cohabitation can be seen as a rehearsal for real family life and a kind of strength test. Living together gives certain freedom in the relationship, and if it turns out that people do not suit each other, the relationship ends.
People who start living together usually do not stop at this stage and do not want to legalize their relationship later. Children born in a such families may experience some discomfort from this situation (Forrest, 2014).
After all, for a child to develop harmoniously, it is necessary to have a guaranteed family, not parents who just decided to live together for a while. Most psychologists claim that women who live with a man before marriage consider themselves married, and men in the same situation see themselves as bachelors (di Giulio, Impicciatore, & Sironi, 2019). This trend also affects relationships, as the husband continues to consider himself free, and the woman, in turn, feels obligated to be the perfect wife—such differences in perception of reality cause divorces and quarrels. Legal marriage, in contrast to cohabitation, provides property rights for spouses and their joint kids.
An officially married woman will never be on the street with a child, as the common property is divided in half, and the husband is obliged to provide for the children (Harker, 2014). Thus, married couples have financial obligations to each other. Spouses take on many responsibilities when they legally marry, which people who do not want to get married try to avoid, which reduces the number of divorces in the world.
In conclusion, nowadays, people often do not want to get married and choose cohabitation as an alternative. This type of relationship is a good rehearsal before marriage, but usually, the couple stops at this stage during cohabitation. Psychologists claim that women and men perceive cohabitation differently, and this is often the cause of quarrels. People who choose cohabitation often try to avoid responsibilities or are simply unsure of a partner.
References
di Giulio, P., Impicciatore, R., & Sironi, M. (2019). The changing pattern of cohabitation: A sequence analysis approach. Demographic Research, 40, 1211–1248. Web.
Harker, C. (2014). The ambiguities of cohabitation. Area, 46(4), 355–356. Web.
Forrest, W. (2014). Cohabitation, Relationship Quality, and Desistance from Crime. Journal of Marriage and Family, 76(3), 539–556. Web.
Wieteska, M. (2018). Marriage vs cohabitation – an alternative or opposition? Journal of Education Culture and Society, 9(1), 27–35. Web.